Is Social Media Marketing Still Effective?

Harald Schendera – Social media is really big, in fact millions of people log into sites like Facebook and Twitter every single day to check and update their status. If you are not taking advantage of social media to attract and build a following for your business, you are missing out. We are going to talk about how to maximize your marketing and brand your business or yourself using platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Twitter is a very powerful example of a simple platform that you can use to reach a lot of people very fast. Our first tip is that you should take the time to learn how to use hashtags, hashtags are very popular on Twitter and often you’ll see many top trending hashtags that can be use to attract new followers. The whole idea on Twitter is to get people to interact with you and have a real interest in what you have to offer.

Facebook has become one of the best ways to promote your company online. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Facebook on a daily basis, granting your business huge amounts of exposure to a large client base. And since Facebook also knows the personal interests of every person, you can easily target a specific group.

Twitter and Facebook are both powerful platforms that – if used correctly – can be very powerful. One of the best ways to grow your audience for free is by creating content. Content can easily go viral specially if the content is designed to provide value, solve a problem or provide information. The more people that can share your content the more people you can reach and the bigger your audience will be.

Using LinkedIn with your social media marketing strategy is always a smart move. In fact, you can link your pages directly together using a blog app. You can use the feature to post a new article, so it will show up on LinkedIn updated. You can save time in this way, and you will get greater exposure by posting to both LinkedIn and to your blog.

Before developing a specific social media marketing strategy, figure out which social networking site you want to use. Each social networking site works differently, so it is important that your strategy will work with the site you pick. For instance, on Facebook you can create a poll, unlike most sites.

The key to creating an engaging social profile in any social network is being active and providing great content. If you are not active you will not be able to build a great following, followers will expect you to update your status often. We strongly recommend you do it at least twice a day or more if you have the time. Not engaging with your followers can also bring a negative impact in your efforts to build interaction with your audience.

In order to get the most out of social media in terms of marketing, add social network widgets to your page. Add a widget to your site to draw attention to your social media marketing campaign. The right widgets will give users the freedom to re-post your content, vote on polls or enter different contests you’re holding. It’s a win-win for everyone.

If you are using social media then you will want to market by inviting all the people you know to those pages. Whether they are customers, potential customers, or have no chance at all of ever buying from you, it’s a good idea to have a large network. The reasoning here is that your page is going to be advertised on their profile as long as they’re in your network.

Add social networking widgets on your blog or site to remind people they can share your content with their friends. Using a widget somewhere on your site can help you gain followers. Also, having a widget on the site allows your readers to vote or retweet your content, rather than having a stranger do it on another site.

Do you want to have an actual relationship with the customers? If increasing sales is your sole motivation, stick to the basics when using social media as a marketing method. To be more interactive with customers, give them a simple greeting. Then, your customers can take the lead.

A lot of businesses go into social media after they’re already established and ultimately lose customers. To avoid this, make sure you alert your customers about your new social presence. Many social media sites will alert all of the follower’s connections that they have begun following a new company or person. Don’t underestimate the power of this type of free advertising. Given the referral nature of this aspect, it is in fact more valuable than traditional advertising.

When you post on a blog, make sure that there is a button the viewer can use to share the post to Facebook close by. Your readers will be able to share your content with their friends easily. This helps to increase the numbers with access to the blog, which, in turn, brings in more visitors that may decide to use your service or possibly buy your products.

Offer exclusive deals to customers who sign up for your social media sites in order to attract customers to those sites. For example, if you’re offering your product for a 50% discount and someone else is not, then you’re suddenly exclusive! You have the market cornered. Their friends will find out and your business will benefit greatly from the exclusivity.

Consider writing as a guest on another blog or having someone come on to write for yours. No matter who writes for whom, you will definitely generate additional traffic. If you do a guest blog, get the permission of the host to leave a link to your site. Also, allow any of your own guest bloggers the same accommodation. It’s a win-win situation, because followers will likely check out both websites.

Create a strategy prior to starting with social media marketing. Make sure you understand how to manage your media pages and allot plenty of time for updates and networking. Set up a timeline and budget for your media marketing. Make sure you stick with your plan firmly, and you’ll find social media marketing success.

Your tweets should have quality content that appeals to your followers. Send out Tweets that contain suggestions and tips that relate to your products and the issues they aim to resolve for your customers. Your subscribers are more likely to maintain interest in your content when you mix these tweets in conjunction with ones that you use to promote your products and services.

To entice targeted visitors to looking at your site, try using YouTube for social media marketing. A well-done YouTube video can give viewers a comprehensive overview of your business or of a product or service, so that they become interested in browsing your company’s website. The more visitors who come to your site with knowledge of your products will help increase sales.

Building any social media marketing network takes patience. You won’t get 10,000 followers in one day. Even though it has been known to happen in the past, the likeliness of you doing it is next to nothing. So be aware that it will take time to gain followers.

You need to respond to customer inquiries as part of any strategy for social media. This simple gesture could turn your campaign into a real success. It is very important to communicate regarding any reviews, especially if they are negative. If you just ignore them, such posts can cause your reputation to suffer. Responding to negative comments immediately can help demonstrate your commitment to customer service, and help your reputation.

Interact with your followers on social media as often as you can! Leave them comments on their Facebook status or blog post if you feel that this is appropriate. Keep your comments limited to your company, products or niche. Do not interfere with their personal discussions.

Make links that tie all your social media sites together. Make it easy for your viewers and readers to find you on Twitter, see your YouTube videos and follow your Facebook page. On your profile page on Twitter, make sure to include the link to your Facebook page and blog. Linking your social media profiles together will potentially increase your customer base.

Without being too intrusive, have regular interaction with your clientele. Comment on their blogs and social media statuses, if you think that to be appropriate. As long as you have a comment to add that’s related to the topic at hand, you should interact in a friendly manner to build rapport between you and your base.

Don’t go off half-cocked and start Facebooking and Twittering like mad until you have established a marketing plan. Figure out who will manage the pages, what type of layout you want, and how much time you would like to invest into it. Like with any promotional campaign, it is best to set up a timeline to achieve your marketing goals. Do all you can to stick to the plan and your campaign can be more successful.

If you really want to bond with your Twitter followers and pick up a larger base, placate them by mentioning them often in your tweets and posts. These people will be alerted that someone tweeted and mentioned them, and they will be way more likely to retweet you!

Regardless of its general form and purpose, one facet your social media campaign must include is habitual rapid and professional response to all comments, inquiries and reviews. If you do not, your whole social media campaign could end up failing. You especially need to be sure to respond to any comments or reviews that are negative or attacking. If you don’t, negative posts will take on a life of their own. Conversely, if you deal with the issue raised in a professional manner, your customers might actually trust you more.

As you now know, businesses all over the world are learning to capitalize on the growth of social media. Even the most modest input of time and effort can produce excellent results. Put this advice to work for your business and see an immediate increase in the number of customers you can reach and the positive impact it can have on your bottom line.